Camelback Mountain
&
Echo Canyon Trail

Together, Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain characterize the natural skyline of Phoenix. They offer city residents a nearby sojourn into the desert or an athletic hiking experience. The desert encounter is not perfect of course. There are often crowds of people all seeking solitude. And one is never really far enough from roads and other city noises to find complete solitude. Not withstanding, many desert plants and creatures eke out a living here and provide opportunities to observe ecology and behavior.

There are two entry points to this recreation area. The parking at the Echo Canyon trail head is limited - so much so that if the weather is nice the lot will always be full. The drive into Echo Canyon is just east of 44th Street and Tatum. To access the mountain from the east there is limited parking along Invergorden for the access to the Cholla Trail. Access by driving ½ mile north from Camelback Road and 68th Street.

Beyond the first ¼ mile the hike up Camelback is physically demanding and potentially hazardous. The slope is quite steep in spots (there are hand rails and chains to steady your ascent) and the hundreds of trampling shoes have produced a fine coating of slippery, pulverized rock. Many hikers are very fit and use the trail for fitness training.

The geology of Camelback is entirely different than nearby Piestewa Peak (Squaw Peak). The northwestern portion is a cap of sedimentary rock. An aggregate of stones and smaller gravel is cemented together with an appealing rust colored silt stone. The rock is pretty soft which has allowed for the formation of wind caves and grottos. Moisture is readily absorbed by this material and released slowly allowing for a surprisingly diverse flora. The eastern half is a substantial core of Cenozoic or Tertiary course-grained granite.

Adapted from Phoenix Parks & Rec. Map.

The colorful sedimentary rock of Camelback Mountain makes for an easily recognizable landmark whether driving through or flying above Phoenix, Arizona.

View in Google Maps

Field Trip Report:
Jan. 5, 2001

The near record rains of October, 2001 and the intervening mild weather brought out an array of wildflowers. Many flowers were found along the first portion of the trail, below the steep portions (see list below). I started my hike late, around 4PM and because I stopped frequently to record flowering species and bird life I arrived at the summit at sundown. A beautiful sunset (above the ever present brown cloud) greeted my successful hike. Thus it was dark on my descent ... moonlight was enough to keep me on the trail and safe from a dangerous fall. A Great Horned Owl hooted loudly from a nearby hilltop. It was warm, around 25ºC with a few thin clouds.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
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Birds

(more frequent towards top of list)

1. Rock Wren -- Salpinctes obsoletus -- S,F,W,Sp
2. Verdin -- Auriparus flaviceps -- S,F,W,Sp Tiny birds, barely larger than a hummingbird. Gray/brown with a majestic yellow head.
3. Anna's Hummingbird -- Calypte anna -- S,F,W,Sp
4. Black-throated Sparrow -- Amphispiza bilineata -- S,F,W,Sp
5. House Finch -- Carpodacus mexicanus -- S,F,W,Sp
6. Mourning Dove -- Zenaida macroura -- S,F,W,Sp
7. White-throated Swift -- F,W,Sp
8. American Kestrel -- S,F,W,Sp
9. Gila Woodpecker -- Melanerpes uropygialis -- S,F,W,Sp
10. Gilded Flicker -- S,F,W,Sp
11. Peregrine Falcon -- S,F,W,Sp nests on ledges in verticle cliff faces
12. Great Horned Owl -- S,F,W,Sp
13. Harris' Hawk -- Parabuteo unicinctus -- S,F,W,Sp Group of three hunting together along Cholla Ln.
14. European Starling -- Sturnus vulgaris -- S,F,W,Sp abundant at golf courses
15. Abert's Towhee -- S,F,W,Sp Seen at edge of golf course from Cholla Trail.

Seasonal occurence: (S)ummer, (F)all, (W)inter, (Sp)ring
Bird list augmented by the observations of A. Mendoza

Mammals

1. Harris's Antelope Squirrel -- Ammospermophilus harrisii - small squirrel with a long bushy tail. White stripe along flank
2. Audubon's Cottontail -- Sylvilagus audubonii - subsidies provided to bunnies in the form of lush green putting green rass.
3. Coyote - a small pack inhabits the eastern slopes

Harris' Ground Squirrel

Cacti

  (In order of Abundance)

1. Compass Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus acanthodes)-
2. Saguaro Cactus (Cereus giganteus)
3. Buckhorn Cholla (Opuntia acanthocarpa) - A few planted near Echo Canyon trail head, and more common up the Cholla Trail and closer to the summit.
4. Graham's Pincushion (Mammilaria grahamii) - nice specimens growing along upper stretches of the Cholla Trail.
5. Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) - also along upper half of Cholla Trail
6. Teddy Bear Cholla (Opuntia bigelovii) - mostly above midpoint on trails

Graham's Pincushion Cactus

Desert Lavender
(Hyptis emoryi)

Trees and Woody Shrubs

Roughly In order of Abundance

About ¼ mile up, the Echo Canyon trail passes alongside a steep northeast facing cliff. Many of the less common trees and shrubs are found here.

1. Triangle-leaf Bursage -- Ambrosia deltoidea - Abundant everywhere in the preserves.
2. Creosote Bush -- Larrea tridentata
3. Foothills Palo Verde; Yellow Palo Verde -- Parkinsonia microphylla -
4. Brittlebush -- Encelia farinosa -
5. Anderson Thornbush;Wolfberry -- Lycium andersonii - fairly common above northeast facing cliff and on to summit
6. Desert Lavender -- Hyptis emoryi - fairly common from northeast facing cliff to summit
7. Mormon Tea (Ephedra aspera) - not uncommon
8. Chuparosa -- Justicia californica - fairly common esp. along cliff face
9. Janusia Vine -- Janusia gracilis - a twisty, viney plant
10. Shrubby Bedstraw -- Galium stellatum -
11. Desert Poinsettia (Euphorbia eriantha) - lovely plant with reddish leaves encircling the whitish-green flower clusters.
12. Goldeneye -- Viguiera deltoidea - not uncommon
13. Desert Globe Mallow -- Sphaeralcia ambigua -
14. Lance-leaf Ditaxis -- Argythamnia lanceolata
15. White Ratany -- Krameria grayi -
16. Indian Mallow -- Abutilon incanum -
17. Ocotillo;Coachwhip -- Fouquieria splendens - a few found along summit approach
18. Sweet Bush -- Bebbia juncea -
19. Desert Ironwood -- Olneya tesota - I found just one along northeast facing cliff and another large specimen at the Cholla trail head.
20. Desert Hackberry -- Celtis ehrenbergiana - again, just one along northeast facing cliff
21. Desert Mistletoe -- Phoradendron californicum - parasitic in a foothill palo verde.
22. Trixis -- Trixis californica - a few amid boulders near summit
23. San Felipe Marigold -- Adenophyllum porophylloides - here and there
24. Catclaw Acacia -- Acacia greggii -- A few in washes close to summit
25. Bernardia -- Bernardia incana - interesting bush with crenulate leaves
26. Oreganillo -- Aloysia wrightiii - a few isolated shrubs near summit
27. Desert Cassia (Cassia nemophilla) - exotic. one growing below summit
28. Ragged Rock Flower -- Crossosoma bigelovii - one near summit